Little Broken Hearts

What is it about breakup albums that inspires artists to reach their greatest artistic achievements? From Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, or more recent examples like Spiritualized’s Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space or Adele’s 21, the history of popular music is filled with singer/songwriters who reach their greatest creative heights when they are at their worst emotional lows. With Little Broken Hearts, we can now add Norah Jones to that list.

Jones has spent the past several years trying to branch out from the jazz/pop/country/folk hybrid sound that made her both a star and a millionaire. From her art project/joke band El Madmo to her collaborations with Outkast, Belle And Sebastian, Q-Tip, and Foo Fighters, she’s shown that there aren’t too many genre’s she’s not interested in. Her last album, The Fall, steered her artistic course in a much more pop oriented direction. And on her newest record, producer/collaborator/co-writer Brian Burton (aka Dangermouse) has guided her further down that path and helped her create the best album of her career. Lyrically, the album is filled with the kind of regret, sorrow, confusion, longing and bitterness that generally accompanies failed romances and infidelity. Several of the songs talk about moving on, but in a way that you know there is a whole lot of baggage going along on the journey. Highlights include “Take It Back,” “Good Morning,” and “Miriam,” a straight up murder ballad made even more creepy by the fact that it’s sung in such a honey sweet voice. It’s definitely a late night, turn off the lights and drink away your sorrows kind of album.